Perspectives
by madeofstarlights
Summary: This is everything and anything in the Blind Bandit's point of view. Nothing is what she thought it would be. (Previously called Home)
1. Home

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, just the plot.**

 _ **I; Home**_

Its been 3 years since she left her home behind.

No, she wasn't talking about Gaoling, the place where she was born. The place where no one knew her name, not before Lao and Poppy Beifong revealed that they _do_ have a child and announced that their precious little girl is missing.

She wasn't talking about the Earth Rumble VI either. Sure, its a big part of her life, and despite the bruises, calluses, and wounds, there's not a day she don't sigh and thought to herself, _man, am I glad to have the gut to go to that earth bending tournament._ She remember the laughing, the mocking, the awe from the audiences when she shows up, and the disbelief. Most of all, she remember getting her butt whooped and whooping plenty of big, buff guy's butts. She loves the place, even though she's not sure it loves her right back.

And she wasn't talking about her precious big house, either. The place was never a home for her. It was a merely big house, filled with antiques, guards, her parent's business partners, and _rules_. It was never a home for her, just like how Lao and Poppy was never a parents to her. They love her, but she never could love them back.

When she was little, she thought _home_ was a place you're familiar with. A place you'd never get lost in. A place where you could sit back and relax, without any real danger coming towards your way. A place where you could sleep safely and where breakfast will be ready at mornings and dinner will be ready at nights. She thought _home_ was a place build of stones and walls. A place where you know exactly where's the bathroom is, or the bedroom, or the dining room. A place with hallways, balconies, gardens, doors and windows, curtains, and stairs.

3 years ago, she realised that all those things weren't exactly _home._ They're just _house._

When the 100 Years War was over, she returned to Ba Sing Se safely, as she didn't want to return to her parents in Gaoling. She thought that home is everywhere, now that there's no real danger upon her. Now that she can sit back and relax, and she can sleep whenever she wanted to without worrying about people trying to kill her. She was given a nice house with hallways and windows and doors and stairs, and remember thinking, _sweet, my own home!_ She remember being so dingly dang excited about her life, now that she has no responsibility and she can do whatever the hell she wants.

But as days passed by, she realised that she's… Lonely. Everyone adores her. Everyone saluted her. The try to talk to her and be her friends - or even worse, _lover._ She could literally ask anyone to be friend and they'd say yes. She shouldn't feel lonely, but here she is.

Everyone loves her because she invented metal bending. They love her because she trained the Avatar. Everyone loves her because she's only 12 when she helped saving the world. Everyone loves Toph Beifong, but no one loves _Toph._

Only now that she realised that _home,_ to her, is the opposite of what she thought it was. Its not familiar. Not at first. She was irritated by Katara's demanding attitude, she thought Sokka's sense of humour is annoying, and she thought Aang was too weak to become an earth bender. She didn't want to leave her _house_ in Gaoling back then, but she did, and these three strange, unfamiliar stranger becomes the best thing she ever knew.

She remembers being lost at her home, too. She remembers the time she and _Sugar Queen_ had a huge fight. She remembers feeling scared, because she always thought of Katara as the sister she never had, even though she wouldn't ever admit it. When they were fighting, she was always afraid of losing her. Sure, she's irritating and can be demanding and act so motherly sometimes, but she don't want to lose her.

She can't exactly sitting back and relax either. She face real dangers everyday. The old wounds and bruises that she got from Earth Rumble VI began to come back, and it multiplies. She remember not knowing what it feels like to not having wounds and bruises and scars.

There's no guarantee that breakfast will be there by morning and dinner will be there by night. She was used to eating some of the best dish served in a fancy plate, but she'd choose the fishes and meats she captured with her friends together was tastier than a chef cooked meal any day.

And _home,_ to her, certainly isn't build of stones. It has no windows, no doors, no stairs, no hallways, no balconies, and no gardens.

To her, _home_ is not the place where she were expected to be silent. Home is not the place where everyone thinks she's fragile, and vulnerable, and weak. Home is not the place with the family who rarely talks to each other. Home is not the place where she has to smile and says that everything is fine so they won't hear the truth rattling behind her teeth. Home is not the place where she was expected to be a lady, to be soft and small, to be everything her parents want her to be. Its not the place where one single mistake is unforgivable.

To her, _home_ is the way she fight in her friend's side. Its how they will have her back, and she will have theirs. It's the feeling of wind on her face when she's flying on Appa's back. Its Katara's soothing words. Her water bending skills. Her fierce personality. Her loving and caring nature, her soft hands, and the scent of coconut that she has. Its Sokka's twisted sense of humour, his ability to make people laugh. His plans and strategies and how he was so protective towards the one he loves. His rough, scarred hands. Its also Aang's light footsteps and his gentle nature. Its the way he couldn't learn earth bending easily because he's so soft - unlike the earth.

Home, to her, is their heartbeats. She has listened to many performers that sang in her house in Gaoling, but nothing compares to their heartbeats. It may sound creepy, but she listened to it when they were asleep. She listened to it when they were being attacked. She listened to it in between their laughs and in between their words. She listened to it when she was scared. Their heartbeats is a proof that they're alive and well, and that's all she needed to know.

Home, to her is being capable of being _Toph, Toph Beifong,_ and _The Blind Bandit_ at the same time. Its being able to become those three person separately, and being able to become neither of those. She knew they'd still love her either way. Home is _Sugar Queen, Snoozles,_ and _Twinkle Toes._ She loves them deeply, and they love her right back.

Home, to her, is the three people she hasn't seen for so long. Its the three people she ran to with tears in her eyes a few hours ago. Its the brother and sister who was sleeping in front of her and the other who is sitting on Appa's head. Just like old times.

3 years ago, when the 100 Years War ended, she left her home. But a few hours ago, she returned to it, and she has no plan on leaving it ever again.

 **Author's note: Hey! Thanks for clicking this story, and decided that you want to read it! Reviews, follows, and favourites are much appreciated :)**


	2. Safe

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender!**

 _ **II; Safe**_

She wasn't, nor has she ever been, safe. Not even when she was still living on her parent's huge house. Yes, she was safe from death threats, deadly missions, and danger, but she doesn't feel safe.

When she was little, her mother used to tell her bedtime stories. The stories always ended in a happy ending, where everybody is joyful and _safe._ She loved those stories. She remembered sneaking up on her parent's bed and ask Poppy Beifong to told the story over and over again.

She remember this particular story about a raging war between two clans. It ended happily, just like the rest of the story, but it makes her think.

She remember asking her mother about war.

" _Don't worry, my child. You're safe here, as long as you're with us._ " Her mother said that day.

She was happy, for a while. She thought she was safe, and as long as you're safe, what else could you ask for? The best thing you could be is safe, and safety were her dream. But one day, she woke up, and she finally noticed something. She noticed the way her mother whispers to the guards and how she'd feel them carrying her body around and lock her in her own room. They said its for her own _safety_. When she had picked up earth bending from the badger moles, she noticed the roundness of everything in her room. There are absolutely no sharp edges, and when she 'accidentally' cut her fingers with a knife, just to see their parent's reaction, her mother rush to mend the cut while she hears her father hisses to the maids. And she has never touched, or feel the presence of a knife ever since.

She noticed the way her mother shield her from earth bending. Little did she know, months earlier, she has learned from the very source of earth bending itself. She didn't quite understand why her mother would shield her from earth bending - something she loves and very natural to her - but when she asks, her mother's answer was, " _Its for your own safety, dear."_

At that point, she understands that _safety_ is just mere lies told by everyone to keep her from being who she is, who she really wants to be. _Safety_ supposed to feel good, and nice, and happy, but she thought, if _safety_ means keeping her from everything that means the world to her, if _safety_ means keeping her from being happy… She decided that she doesn't want it at all.

But all of that was years ago. Now, everything has changed. She's faced many deadly enemies and opponents that will do much more than just knocking her off the ring, like her opponents did at the Earth Rumble IV. There were no rings, and if she got knocked out, then… She's dead. Or worse.

She traveled the world on a flying bison, hundreds of feet above the land, above the earth, with the possibility of her falling and plunging towards her own death. She was far from the word and definition of _safety_ , but she thought, if death threats and excelled opponents and the possibility of her dying is what makes her feel alive, then no, _safety_ is no longer a dream. She would throw _safety_ of a cliff if it takes a physical form, because that's just how much she didn't want it.

 **Author's note: Hello! This story's title used to be** ** _Home_** **, as I only intended it to become a one shot. But I thought, why not make this a drabble? So here you go,** ** _Perspectives._** **Anyway, I'm sorry this chapter is short! Thanks for reading, follows, favorites and reviews are much appreciated :)**


	3. Love

She has always been fascinated by the idea of love.

Her mother told her a lot of stories back when she was around the age of 4 to 8. She remember loving the stories so much, she'd sit patiently on her bed, waiting for her mother to enter the room. She'd tell her many stories about bravery, and kindness. About evil and good. About nobility, royalty, princesses from far off lands. Talking animals were also included.

But she remember, one day, her mother story wasn't like any other stories she had told her. It was a love story, a sad one. The one that didn't really have any beginnings or endings, the one that will never be together for all eternity. It was the story of how the sun loves the moon so much, he died every night just to let her breathe. It goes like this;

 _There once was a moon, as beautiful as can be,_

 _only the stars could fathom, but the sun cannot see._

 _The sun so radiant, he burns so bright._

 _The moon so so luminous, but only showed her face during the night._

 _She was untouchable, surrounding herself_

 _with a blanket of darkness._

 _The sun would give anything to catch a glimpse of the moon_

 _illuminating the beautiful night sky._

 _Until one day when the sun was_

 _gliding out of the heavens, he caught a glimpse of her._

 _She was peeking up, a rare side of her being exposed to the light._

 _And while the sun could shine, he knew the moon could glow._

 _Just as the stars were wandering into the night, the sun_

 _fell in love like a snowball_

 _hurling down a mountain._

 _How he wished to see her move than the fleeting_

 _moments he shared with her at both dawn and dusk._

 _But they were world apart._

 _"_ _Go," she whispered to him one of those nights,_

 _her voice as sweet and sorrowful as the last light of morning._

 _"_ _Go and let me breathe, for you and I have decided fates._

 _You illuminate the day, and I cast a good one the night._

 _We will never be._

 _Our connection would go against what all the people believe,_

 _all they know."_

 _During the summer, he would stay a little longer_

 _just in case she would change her mind._

 _It was no use._

 _"_ _Don't you dare abandon your blessings of light_

 _for my darkness."_

 _And those were the last words the moon was strong enough_

 _to speak to the sun._

 _The sun could feel her peaceful soul and it soon became clear._

 _He would die each and every night_

 _to let his love breathe,_

 _for it would put an end to all her misery._

 _"_ _A tale like this should be heard and seen._

 _And no one will know it is the story of you and me."_

Now, she has never seen the sun or the moon, but she knows the striking difference between them. The sun radiates warmness and light, whereas the moon radiates peace and glow. They're as different as can be, but she loved the story so much, she remembers she asked her mother to retell it every night for nearly a month.

She remember asking, "What does it feels like to fall in love?", for she wanted to know what the sun felt every time he died down for the moon.

"Someday, my dear girl," Her father said. "You'll meet a fine young man and you'll understand."

And so she waited. She waited for her _fine young man_ , she waited for her _sun_ to came and sweep her off her feet. She was so full of hope back then.

She waited and waited, and she remember asking her mother, "When will my sun came?" Her mother's response would always be, "Someday. Not now."

And so she waited again, but he never came. She got tired of waiting for someone who probably doesn't exist to come. She began to thought that maybe, her sun's moon wasn't her. Was never and never will be her. So she let all thought about silly hopes and love disappear. She soon realise that her own parents kept her a secret, and she would never find love on her own.

 _Its okay,_ she thought to herself back then while treating her own injury she got from the Earth Rumble VI. _Who needs love anyway? Its just a silly bedtime stories. Besides, I would never fall in love. It's stupid._

She thought she wasn't in love. She thought she was never in love - but one chilly night, she woke up with a jolt. She realises, she was in love. This whole time, she thought she wasn't, but she was. Its just not the kind of love she'd expected. Not the kind of love she thought she wanted. Its better.

Her father had said to her years ago that a fine young man would come and she'll understand, but there was no fine young man. She didn't want the presence of a fine young man, and no, she didn't understand. But its okay. Fine young mens would expect her to be a quiet little lady. She wouldn't like that.

She figures that _love_ doesn't only comes in romantic feelings and attachment, it also comes in platonic relationships. In her opinion, it was better.

It wasn't her _sun and moon_ story either. She wasn't the sun who's willing to die each and every night just to let her love breathe. She wasn't the moon who would suffocates if the sun breathes also. There was no sun. There was no moon. They'd die protecting each other, and they'd breathe as long as the other breathe.

Unlike the sun, she was sure the other love her just as much as she love them.

She thought, if this is what it feels like to love someone and being loved in return, she'd love until it hurts or bleed or fade in time. It wasn't the kind of love she would expect to even exist. It wasn't the kind of love she thought she would get to experienced.

She love them so much, that she thought is they all had die and being born into another life, she would recognise their soul. She believes that some friendships and platonic loves are so strong, they can even transcend lifetimes.

 **Author's note: I feel like I abandon this story, I'm so sorry! Anyway, I'm back now. And yes there is a quotes from the show I sneak somewhere in the line there. And there is also a lyric from one of Taylor Swift's song. Cookie points if you spot them! And also, I decided to bring up Toph's touchy side, I hope that's okay :)**


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